People - Music Business

Music Business Faculty: Charles Fleckenstein

Charles Fleckenstein is a 27-year veteran of the record industry, mostly in major label senior management, and primarily working on the business side of the business. He has held a variety of posts at CBS Records’ (now Sony Music) International, A&R Administration, Business Affairs, and Commercial Music departments. Among Mr. Fleckenstein’s more recent accomplishments was bringing the AC/DC recorded music catalog to Sony and positioning it to become the best selling catalog in the world (overtaking the Beatles).

In addition to AC/DC, Mr. Fleckenstein was also responsible for a number of other major music acquisitions including the recordings of Iron Maiden, Jimi Hendrix, Roy Orbison, Sesame Street, and Philadelphia International Records, to name a few. Mr. Fleckenstein also recently orchestrated Sony Music's participation in the “Viva Elvis” show, which opened a 10-year run in Las Vegas last year and designed deals with such diverse brands as the WWE, Grand Theft Auto, the Professional Bull Riders and The Franklin Mint. In prior Sony/CBS Records roles, Mr. Fleckenstein managed the company’s business with a wide range of artists including David Bowie, Billy Joel, Mariah Carey, Neil Diamond, Alice In Chains, Elvis Presley, and Michael Jackson. Mr. Fleckenstein served on the Board of NOW (the industry’s top compilation brand) and spearheaded Sony’s participation in the R&B Royalty Reform Program which benefits many of the label’s seminal artists.

On leaving Sony Music in 2010, Mr. Fleckenstein became President and CEO of MOJO, a records and publishing services company that he started along with guitar virtuoso Steve Vai. Also during that time, Mr. Fleckenstein has developed a successful business specializing in music catalog acquisitions, IP, and music catalog management. His major clients include Wolfgang's Vault (who own the world's largest live music catalog), CBGB's, and the Roy Orbison Estate. Mr. Fleckenstein earned a BS at the University of Michigan and his MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.